| Peter Francese, a demographic trends analyst, noted that New Hampshire is building an adequate supply of seniors housing, but that many of the state’s local governments have become more restrictive in approving housing for families with children. “It is imperative that a more hospitable climate for young families be created in New Hampshire,” Francese said. “The central issue is how to provide affordable housing for young families and workers without any adverse impact on local school budgets.” The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is addressing the issue of regulatory barriers to housing with renewed energy and commitment, said David Engel, director of HUD’s Division of Affordable Housing Research and Technology. “We want to see reform in a number of areas, including inadequate building and rehab codes, overlapping permit and review processes, overly restrictive zoning codes and subdivision regulations, and excessive fees, just to name a few,” Engel said. Rising housing prices in New Hampshire are a matter of supply and demand, said Mark Leff, senior vice president of SalemFive Bank and chairman of the Public Policy Committee, Home Builders Association of Massachusetts. “There is absolutely a correlation between declining production and increasing home prices,” he said, citing the example of Massachusetts, where single-family homes have been rising rapidly in price while their production has declined. Lisa Henderson, program coordinator of the Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast, observed that a strong and diverse housing infrastructure helps attract and retain businesses, which in turn helps attract and retain workers and increases spending in the community. Maryann Manoogian, director of the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, called for a series of regional meetings among developers, builders and regulatory officials to discuss ways to increase home production. Public Policy Alliance for Housing Last week's conference was the first program of the Public Policy Alliance for Housing, which is being sponsored by the New Hampshire home builders. The goal of the organization is to make housing all New Hampshire families a high priority of both the public and private sectors and to open up a dialogue on how to balance the need for housing and growth with preservation of the state's quality of life. Specific goals include: - Advocacy for a sound legislative agenda that fosters reasonable and balanced approaches to managing growth in communities and on a region-wide basis.
- Development of a comprehensive educational campaign that provides clear and consistent information on demographic trends and the need to provide a diverse housing mix that addresses market demand.
- Support for the establishment of a public policy alliance , or housing coalition, that will represent all who have a stake in providing housing for all segments of the population, with an appreciation for the economic implications of maintaining an adequate supply of housing.
- Provision of opportunities to challenge unreasonable regulations that may impede necessary housing and economic growth.
- Support for research that addresses regulatory barriers, workforce housing development and smart growth.
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